~50% chance of vital ocean circulation halting this century | AMOC: critical component of Earth’s climate

As Gabriel says in the interview, if the AMOC collapses then we can expect much harsher weather in Europe (especially in UK & Ireland) as less heat is transported via the Atlantic circulation. Less heat means less moisture leading to less rain and more drought. In these conditions, food production is impossible and, with concurrent food crashes around the globe, famine is likely. What an AMOC collapse means for us all should be understood by citizens and policymakers alike. Averting it, if possible, a primary collective goal.

From Climate Genn host Nick Breeze:

Welcome to this ClimateGenn Episode. That opening clip was recorded on the Cryosphere Pavilion at COP29 in Baku. It shows IPCC Deputy Chair, Diana Urge-Vorsatz asking Professor Stefan Rahmsdorf about the latest research on the potential halting of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation – known as AMOC –  the ocean currents that transport heat from the tropics to the north Atlantic. 

In this following interview with researcher Gabriel Pontes, we expand on his recent AMOC research and what this means for places like the UK and Ireland, identifying key components of the AMOC puzzle. We also consider whether policymakers should be weighing this kind of climate risk more seriously.

If you are interested in how the COPs have been manipulated and rendered unfit for purpose by successive governments then you can order my book ‘COPOUT’ from any online retailer. COPOUT traces my own footsteps documenting the failures that have led us to where we are now in the era of severe consequences.

In the next episode I speak with Camilla Gjerde about her recently published book, Natural Trailblazers, about the authors travels in search of .